How can i reformat my hard drive without deleting the recovery partition?

[Blue Diamond]

basically, is there any possible way to reformat the hard drive partition WITHOUT the recovery part? and then reinstall windows WITH the recovery partition after that? i have a T61 btw

[Lithus]

If you're going to install Windows with the recovery partition, then you don't need to reformat your primary partition. The act of recovery will automatically format it for you.

[Blue Diamond]

If you're going to install Windows with the recovery partition, then you don't need to reformat your primary partition. The act of recovery will automatically format it for you.

hmmm, u sure? where did you hear this from?

[mullenbooger]

What lithus said makes sense. If you recover from the recovery partition you shouldn't lose the recovery partition.

[zillal]

Am not sure I understand what you want to do. But to for instance put in a new hard disk:

1. Backup your C: drive

2. Burn recovery disks (Create Product Recovery Media in Start -- All Programs -- Thinkvantage folder). First disk has to be CD, rest can be DVD.

3. Reset to factory settings on the new disk by booting from the recovery disks.

4. Restore your C: drive

If you already destroyed the current recovery partition you can get recovery disks from Lenovo support for around $75.

[Lithus]

hmmm, u sure? where did you hear this from?

Where did I hear it from? That's the definition of a system recovery...

[djshack]

From recent experience, if you use the recovery DVDs/CDs you make yourself, they literally wipe out your hard drive and reinstall all three partitions (S:, C:, and the Lenovo one that's useless once you've burned the discs). Your computer will be exactly how it was when you took it out of the box.

Actually kind of annoying IMO. I'd prefer a freakin' Vista disc without the Lenovo stuff.

Also, does anyone know if the computer would still boot without the S: partition? Is that just for recovery, or also for booting? I can't wait for final 7 to come out so I can just use a Windows disc (no Lenovo partitions and crap).

[Indrek]

The S: partition isn't needed for booting. The day Win7 RC was publicly released I wiped my hard drive clean and installed Win7 (and Ubuntu 9), without the Lenovo partitions. No problems so far.
Of course I created the recovery DVDs beforehand.

[djshack]

The S: partition isn't needed for booting. The day Win7 RC was publicly released I wiped my hard drive clean and installed Win7 (and Ubuntu 9), without the Lenovo partitions. No problems so far.
Of course I created the recovery DVDs beforehand.

I know it's not needed for 7, but is it needed for the factory/recovery install of Vista? I can't figure out if it just keeps some backup/recovery info on it, or if Windows actually loads from S: rather than C: (again, only with the factory Vista).

[zillal]

The S: partition is a Windows predesktop area (google on predesktop).

So in the factory preload MBR points to the S: partition that then loads C: (unless you push Thinkvantage/F11 button).

It also uses track 0 following MBR. That's why cloning a factory preload with Acronis True Image won't work, Acronis copies MBR and the partitions but not track 0.

Anyway when you do any kind of clean install you wipe MBR so as you no longer can enter the S: partition you might as well reformat reclaiming the space it uses.